Edinburgh – Enjoy helping others

At some point or other many people feel a need to make a difference in their community and want to support a good cause.  The charity work that often tightly tugs at the heartstrings of many parents is connected to their child’s school, to children or to other families who may be struggling.

Could you offer support to local families who are experiencing difficulties?

Home Link Family Support is regularly looking for volunteer Befrienders to provide emotional and practical support to families with young children who are under stress and experiencing difficulties in South Edinburgh and Midlothian.  Befrienders offer support to families on a weekly basis through a flexible and non-judgemental approach.  This type of support benefits families who may find it difficult to utilise other forms of support in their communities.

Volunteers may listen to problems, help the parent work out choices, play with the children or help a family to link into other sources of advice and support available to them.  The help of a Befriender is sustained, regular support and is extended to the whole family, not just the parent or child. This type of proactive and preventative support makes a real difference to the whole family and offers a very rewarding experience to volunteers. To find out more go to www.homelinkbefriending.org or phone 0131 661 0890. 

Do your bit for your school...

Most schools really flourish and develop with pro-active help from parents.  If you pick at the seams of a prosperous school, it won’t be long before you discover that it is often backed with a good level of leadership, help and support from its parents. The results are promisingly positive.  With a fully supportive Parent Council and dynamic PTA, a school will be filled with the latest computer or play equipment, the teachers and staff will feel valued and warmly supported; weak areas identified in HMIE reports are tackled in a positive manner; but the people who will ultimately benefit the most, are of course, the children. With increased parental interest, a school can build solid foundations, allowing the children to benefit from a positive experience of school life.

There are a number of ways you can get involved in helping your child’s school on a voluntary basis.  The level of involvement will be largely dependent on your circumstances and availability to donate time. If time is less of a problem to you and you feel that you have a passion to drive the school forward, a role on the Parent Council may suit you best. Or, if you would like to offer a supportive role to the school and help raise funds for improved equipment and facilities, a position on the school’s PTA can be fun, creative and fulfilling. If your free time is particularly tight, there are still ways to help.  You can be a parent helper at the school - escorting children on trips to the swimming pool or you can assist with guided reading, or you could run a stall at the summer fete, or if you have a special skill to sew, paint or cook for example, you can pass on this valued knowledge to eager-to learn children.

To find out more go to the Scottish Parent Teacher Council website at www.sptc.info

Could you volunteer for CHILDREN 1ST?

With 125 years experience of working with children and families, CHILDREN 1ST support families under stress, protect children from harm and neglect, help them to recover from abuse and promote children's rights and interests. Partnerships are central to the success of CHILDREN 1ST. As an independent charity it works with other organisations, the Government and local authorities. The money raised from the public allows the charity to invest in new and innovative services to help children and their families.

Volunteers play a key role in its work – as local fundraisers, befrienders, call takers at ParentLine Scotland, drivers with its services as well as in a whole range of other activities. Without them, CHILDREN 1ST simply would not be able to reach the number of children and families that it is currently able to do. For more details go to www.children1st.org.uk, call 0131 446 2300 or email info@children1st.org.uk